United States or Burundi ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
As the lad left the cabin, the kettle was singing on the fire and there was a good smell of coffee in the room, for Nelle with the mill on her lap was crushing the black berries, which snapped cheerily. Madame Puzzel had unfastened the metal clasp of her big black-hooded cloak and taken her spectacle case and knitting from her basket.
Madame Puzzel, Riekje will be pleased to see you. Come in," said Tobias. "Good-evening, lad. Oh! it's Lucas." "Good evening, Tobias," said the young man. "Dolf has stayed behind with his comrades, so I brought Madame Puzzel." "Come and have a drink, my son, then you can go back to Dolf." Nelle now came forward. "Good-evening, Madame Puzzel, how are you? Here is a chair.
Dolf heard a voice say within himself: "Die, Jacques Karnavash; there is not room in the world for you and Riekje's child." To this another voice replied: "Live, Jacques Karnavash, for it would be better to strike your mother dead." "There's Dolf bringing Madame Puzzel back with him," said Nelle, after about an hour.
Sit down and warm yourself." "Good-evening to you all," replied the fat little old woman. "So we are going to have christening sugar on board the Guldenvisch this evening. It's your first, is it not, Riekje? Come, Nelle, make me some coffee and give me some supper." "Riekje," said the young boatman, "I brought Madame Puzzel because Dolf was dragged off by his comrades. He must not see you suffer.
Towards midnight, Madame Puzzel folded up her knitting, placed her spectacles on the table, crossed her arms and looked into the fire; then she began to prepare the linen, made a hole in the pillows and looked at the time by the big silver watch which she wore under her jacket. Finally, she yawned six consecutive times and went to sleep with one eye open.
"Dolf, you can run better than I can," said Tobias. "Run and fetch Madame Puzzel; we will look after Riekje." Then Dolf pressed Riekje once more to his heart, and ran up the ladder. The plank which connected the boat with the shore shook as he crossed it. "He is already a long way off," said Tobias.
Riekje wrung her hands and cried out: "Mamae Puzzel! Mamae Puzzel!" "Mama Puzzel can do nothing for you, Riekje," replied the midwife. "You must be patient." Within the room, the kettle sang on the fire; without, the water lapped against the boat. Voices died away along the banks, and doors were shut. "It is midnight," said Tobias, "those are the people leaving the inn." "Ah!
Tobias threw his cap up in the air, and Nelle, laughing, pinched the face of the new-born babe whom Madame Puzzel swaddled on her knee. When the baby was well wrapped up, Madame Puzzel placed it in Dolf's arms and he kissed it cautiously with little smacks. Riekje called Dolf to her side, took his head in her hand, and fell asleep until morning.
When the pain became worse, Madame Puzzel tapped her on the cheek, and said: "Be brave, Riekje. You cannot think what a joy it is to hear the little one cry for the first time. It is like eating vanilla cream in Paradise listening to beautiful violin music."
There he is!" cried the men at that moment, who were moving the torches over the water. "We saw his head and feet. Help!" Dolf threw off his coat and said to the boatmen coldly: "I will go." Then he spoke again: "One of you run to Madame Puzzel and take her back to the Guldenvisch at once."
Word Of The Day